20 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1 



fore it should not be removed until the last 

 minute. Where a lot of cells are to be 

 grafted, the jelly for supplying- them should 

 not be removed from the hive all at one 

 time, but several different graftings should 

 be done, and only enough removed as re- 

 quired at each time. A great deal de- 

 pends upon how quickly an operator can 



do the work. I can graft 112 cells be- 

 fore the jelly gets too hard for use, and 

 others who are more dextrous can do more. 

 Fig. 7 gives a fair description of how 

 the jelly is transferred to the cells. The 

 section of the cell shown, the third from the 

 left, illustrates nicely the right proportion 

 of jelly that should be supplied to each cell. 

 The jelly is removed from the unsealed cell 

 in the first place, with the jelly-spoon, and 

 the proportion designed for each cell is 



Fig. y. 



in turn picked oft from this bulk and plac- 

 ed in position with the " transferring-nee- 

 dle." 



A frame of select larvae, not more than 36 

 hours old, should be chosen for grafting, 



and should be right handy so that, as soon 

 as the jelly is supplied to the cells, the larva? 

 will be at hand ready to be transposed to 

 their new quarters. 



Fig. 8 shows the manner in which the 

 larva is removed from its cell. Rightly 

 speaking, in this illustration the point of 

 the larva-lifter should be a little further 

 behind the larva — at just about the center 

 of the curve in its body. Some use a little 

 jelly on the point of their larva-lifter, and 

 say that, by using it, the larva adheres to 

 the instrument more readily; but for my 

 part I prefer a clean dry lifter, especially 

 if it is profusely fed. When the larva 

 is removed from the comb it is placed in 

 sweet contentment upon the little nest of 

 royal jelly prepared for it in the cell-cups, 

 and from that moment the life of the worker 

 ceases and that of the queen begins. 



Fig. 9 represents a bee-keeper at work 

 grafting queen-cells. The comb should be 

 held at such an angle that the light falls 

 into the cells. There is no necessity of par- 

 ing them down; a little practice will soon 

 enable any one who has fair eyesight to 

 lift out the larva? from an ordinary comb 

 with ease. At first the operation may cause 

 you to look more perplexed than our friend 

 in the picture does; but keep right at it; 

 and if you have any of the stuff in you that 

 goes to make a good bee-keeper, you will 

 make a success of it, and in doing this you 

 will have mastered the most important 

 branch of the bee-keeping industry, and 

 one that will add new profit as well as fas- 

 cination to the pursuit of your choice. 

 {To be contifiued). 



AN EXPERIENCE IN PEDDLING HONEY. 



An Interesting and Readable Account. 



BY HARRY LATHKOP. 



I started out one day toward the west, 

 Hoping to sell the product of my toil; 



.\nd thought within myself that it were best 

 To try to sell to tillers of the soil. 



I went, but I returned with all my load, 

 And more; for all along the winding way 



A heavy heart I carried oq the road 

 That led me home that fading autumn day 



Having read the experiences of different 

 ones who have tried the plan of selling hon- 

 ey from house to house, I tried it this sea- 

 son with the following results. It was dur- 

 ing the closing daj's of summer. The 

 weather was fine, the roads good — that is, 

 as good as our roads ever are here in South- 

 ern Wisconsin, where a drive across coun- 

 try consists principall3' in making dives 

 down hills steep and long to cross small 

 spring brooks, and then climb to the top of 

 the next hill to repeat the operation. I was 

 provided with a span of lively ponies and a 

 neat spring wagon, in which I placed a few 

 cases of honey in cans large and small; and 

 in a box I had a small scale for weighing 

 small lots. Thus equipped I started out 



